Surviving Minnesota!

[Tfred1399]

I just wish I had made the cross members on the top of the run elevated on one side so I could at least throw up a tarp with some slope.

Fairly minor, but still. I was debating not wrapping in plastic. Looks like I should. We will certainly get colder and windier than this.

Well, that and I wish it were all bigger...

 

[lvie]

Yup there's high vents too and I do have a high east window it just needs a little work so it'll open.

So they did survive the night. The water froze so I guess I'm off to get a heater for that. There's a bit of snow as I left the windows open but I shut up the ones that will stay shut (on the list to fix that) and it's still pretty cozy in there. The wind did shift thus the snow in the coop but the chickens decided to sleep on top of the nesting boxes so they seemed nice and toasty.

From what I have been taught on this thread the venting should be near the top. I leave the plastic open on a couple sides of the run/coop to let out the moisture. Works like a charm. Ralphie taught me this.
Oh! and those metal roofs . . . they drip if not insulated. The cold and snow on top, the warmth of the enclosed area under = moisture. We blew the insulation onto the underside of the roof. That works well also.

 

[Elise Ferguson]

From what I have been taught on this thread the venting should be near the top. I leave the plastic open on a couple sides of the run/coop to let out the moisture. Works like a charm. Ralphie taught me this.
Oh! and those metal roofs . . . they drip if not insulated. The cold and snow on top, the warmth of the enclosed area under = moisture. We blew the insulation onto the underside of the roof. That works well also.

We're good on the sweating front as our roof is cedar shake. The hubs is gonna finish insulating the walls tomorrow (I hope). And if I can come up with a piece of linoleum for the floor I'll get a bunch of straw so at the very least I'll have a warm place to sleep when I get kicked out of the house for coming home with more animals

 

[Cebarmlds]

The plastic doesn't cover the complete run here, then I have 2 sheets of Plexiglas in front on the lower portion to keep the wind from blowing directly on them. I don't have any on the door to the run but I'm thinking of adding a piece. But I didn't have it on the door last winter either...

 

[lvie]

The plastic doesn't cover the complete run here, then I have 2 sheets of Plexiglas in front on the lower portion to keep the wind from blowing directly on them. I don't have any on the door to the run but I'm thinking of adding a piece. But I didn't have it on the door last winter either...

My main goal is to keep them out of the wind and drafts. It has worked for two winters and I haven't lost a bird yet. Then again, I used heat lamps which I am not doing this year. I may set up the rope lighting to turn on early in the a.m. but have not decided yet. I am thinking that there egg-producing bodies need a rest. I still get enough eggs for the two of us.

 

[Cebarmlds]

My main goal is to keep them out of the wind and drafts. It has worked for two winters and I haven't lost a bird yet. Then again, I used heat lamps which I am not doing this year. I may set up the rope lighting to turn on early in the a.m. but have not decided yet. I am thinking that there egg-producing bodies need a rest. I still get enough eggs for the two of us.

Yep, this coop is going on six years maybe 7 I don't remember. It works. I do give them extra light in the morning because when I go out to feed them I want to see what I'm doing. I don't like the tree growing in the run, it wasn't supposed to be built that way
One of DH's helpers wife moved my flags when the guys were setting the floor. Then DH didn't want to cut it down.

 

[lvie]

Yep, this coop is going on six years maybe 7 I don't remember. It works. I do give them extra light in the morning because when I go out to feed them I want to see what I'm doing. I don't like the tree growing in the run, it wasn't supposed to be built that way
One of DH's helpers wife moved my flags when the guys were setting the floor. Then DH didn't want to cut it down.

Oh those helpful people!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

We got about 1 1/2-2 inches. Like Erli's picture. That's how we look too. Enough to make for cold fingers this morning. Time to dig out the rubber fingered warm gloves.
The Carhart is out but not the gloves. What was I thinking? I do not have the fount on the cookie tin heater yet either. I figured it would get warm enough today to stay open. But maybe not.
Raked and tossed the new leaves to get snow off in the run as I hadn't put plastic up yet. That was a slacker move there. Wishing for windbreak and no snow in the run now. I'll get it done Sunday. Along with some new hay in the run to mix in the leaves and a bucket of fresh ashes and sand...if it dries out enough.

Ed looked like some rain mostly by the lake. But then up on the hill there's always a different forcast. shoot.
Jerry we're all coming down to move in....

 

[holm25]

We have quite a bit of snow and ice here... Roads are icky but not as bad as they were last night...


I got 7 of my 8 entries loaded up and will be leaving for Hutch in and hour or so!

 

[jerryse]

We may have snow Sunday morning . Yes that weather is coming here also .